DC plane crash updates: 55 victims recovered and positively identified

All 67 people on board the plane and the helicopter were killed.

ByIvan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, and Emily Shapiro
Last Updated: February 2, 2025, 4:59 PM EST

An American Airlines regional jet went down in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after colliding with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, with no survivors.

Sixty-four people were on board the plane, which departed from Wichita, Kansas. Three soldiers were on the helicopter.

The collision happened around 9 p.m. when the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet was on approach to the airport.

Map of the area around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the layout of Runway 33, which the regional American Airlines jet was approaching at the time of the collision with the Army Black Hawk helicopter, according to officials.
ABC News, Google Earth, Flightradar24, ADS-B Exchange

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 30, 2025, 9:59 AM EST

Trump to speak at 11

President Donald Trump will hold a press briefing on the crash at 11 a.m. from the White House.

Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, on January 30, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Jan 30, 2025, 9:57 AM EST

'Our hearts are heavy,' emotional Wichita mayor says

Lily Wu, the mayor of Wichita, Kansas, was emotional as she noted that there were no survivors of the American Airlines plane crash, which departed from Wichita.

"I want to address that our hearts are heavy," Wu said. "Our hearts are heavy as a city. Our hearts are heavy as a city council, and we are here to provide the support needed for our community."

-ABC News’ Alex Faul

Jan 30, 2025, 9:48 AM EST

Helicopter appeared to be flying above mandated 200 feet

An early focus for investigators is the flight path of the helicopter, which appeared to be flying at about 350 feet -- above the mandated 200 feet, according to sources familiar with the operation.

PHOTO: Law enforcement are seen on a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane crashed into the river after colliding with a Army helicopter, Jan. 30, 2025.
Law enforcement are seen on a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as rescue crews search the waters of the Potomac River after a passenger plane on approach to Reagan crashed into the river after colliding with a US Army helicopter, Jan. 30, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Another focus is communications between the helicopter and air traffic control and whether they were communicating as they should have been, sources said.

-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas and Aaron Katersky

Jan 30, 2025, 9:21 AM EST

Soldiers on helicopter had night vision goggles: Hegseth

The Army helicopter, which had three soldiers on board, was on an "annual proficiency training flight" at the time of the crash, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a video message.

"It was a fairly experienced crew that was doing a required annual night evaluation," Hegseth said. "They did have night vision goggles."

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addresses the recent crash at Reagan International Airport, Jan. 30, 2025.
Department of Defense via Twitter

The crash happened on a clear night, officials said.

Officials are working to determine if the helicopter was "in the corridor and at the right altitude" at the time of the crash, Hegseth said.

"It's a tragedy," Hegseth said.

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